Episode Report Card Lady Lola: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Community Organ-izers
By Lady Lola | Season 3 | Episode 22 | Aired on 05.14.2009
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.Jack is admittedly hesitant about giving his newly found bio-pop a kidney, and Dr. Spaceman's glorious medical incompetence is no help. Jack warms up to the idea after some father-son bonding. Unfortunately, he discovers he's not a match, but he vows to help in any way he can. Cue the random parade of celebrities -- including Elvis Costello, Clay Aiken, Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow, CYNDI LAUPER!, the Beastie Boys and that sleazy guy with the helium voice from Maroon 5 -- that Jack enlists to produce a kidney-themed charity single. And what musical possibilities that crazy liquor-processing, pee-making organ provides...
Thanks to her "deal breaker" sketch, Lemon has to accompany Jenna in an appearance on a thinly veiled parody of The Tyra Banks Show. Things look up when the audience, and soon the world, embrace her fast-talking, no-nonsense relationship advice. Jack advises her to take advantage of the opportunities coming her way, including a book deal. Pete and Tracy are less enthusiastic, though, after Lemon tells their wives not to put up with their secret married behavior. They try to convince Lemon that her unprofessional diagnoses are going to destroy the world, but Lemon decides to "get hers." Hell, if Dr. Spaceman can do it, so can Lemon!
Tracy is invited back to his high school, but he refuses to return to the locale of his greatest embarrassment -- when he couldn't dissect a frog, started crying like a bitch, and consequently dropped out. However, after he discovers one of his classmates is a fast-food delivery man, he realizes he can inspire people with his story. He returns and delivers a predictably Tracy Jordan train wreck speech, and the high school gives him an honorary degree. He starts crying like a bitch again, undoing all his success.
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Want more? The full recap starts right below!Lemon's office. Jack catches Lemon up on Milton's request for a kidney and his own reluctance to give one to that Commie, homo-lovin' son-of-a-gun. He feels like he's in a tough place because he's Milton's only hope, but he doesn't want to be a match. He asks for Lemon's help. She begins singing an anatomical song from when she played a kidney in her fifth-grade play. Not helping.
Later in the studio, Jenna tells Lemon that she has to go on The Vontella Show as a relationship expert thanks to "That's a deal breaker, ladies!" This is not good news for Jenna, who has been involved in many a WWE-style throwdown and/or family reunion ambush on this Tyra Banks/Jerry Springer hybrid. Jenna, however, does relish the chance to rope Lemon into coming with her on the show since Lemon hijacked her Time Out New York cover and is now the "face of 'deal breaker.'" Lemon tries to wriggle out of it, but Jenna makes it clear Lemon's presence is not optional.
Dr. Spaceman's office. He can't keep a straight face while talking about Milton's kidney ("Kidney's just such a funny word!"), then promptly hands them a form that says Milton is giving Jack his kidney and not the other way around. All of this does nothing to allay Jack's concerns, and he makes it very clear that he is not totally on board with the whole transplant situation.
Tracy's dressing room. Kenneth tells Tracy he's been invited back to his high school to speak at graduation. Tracy flatly refuses, then tells a horror story about being solicited by a drug dealer to cut a brotha open. He says that's why he dropped out and vowed never to go back. He leaves, and Dot-Com informs Kenneth that the "drug dealer" was actually a science teacher who wanted Tracy to cut open a frog. Dissection is decidedly not urban. Grizz recalls that he had to deny knowing Tracy because of the humiliating situation. Kenneth likens it to his own understanding of science, which, being from the Deep South, is decidedly anti-evolution.
Vontella Show. Jenna chokes when the TV diva lets audience members ask her relationship questions. Luckily, Lemon picks up the slack and proves quite adept at spotting those pesky deal breakers. (See below.) Wild applause and coining of more catch phrases ("Shut it down!") ensues.
Tracy stares forlornly out the window on a rainy day, or so it would seem. It's just a set that the high school drop-out co-opted to express his inner emotions. Kenneth approaches and confronts Tracy with the truth about his high school story. Tracy starts crying and shouting out that he was a chicken. Alan Alda interjects for a moment to drop a one-liner: "A guy crying about a chicken and a baby? I thought this was a comedy show." Judge that line for yourself, but, for me, it was only meh. He leaves, and Tracy tells Kenneth that he doesn't understand how horrible it has been to live down that mortifying moment. He says he lost his street cred and has since vowed never to cry again. He insists he never cries, despite a whopper of a montage to the contrary (best snippet: "A Diet Slice and some pita chips!"). Tracy is adamant that he will never go back to the scene of his greatest failure. Kenneth feels sorry that he can't embrace all the parts of himself, even his own failures, but Tracy won't hear it.